


From Hardenbergia With Love

by Winterreise



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe, Business AU, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Psychological Drama, future smut, kanekicest, paparima, tsukihaise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-06 02:55:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5400248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winterreise/pseuds/Winterreise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haise, heir to international business giant Arima Corporation, has no time for extraneous relationships, especially romantic ones. But when he becomes distracted by a beautiful vase of flowers at work that lead him to a handsome purple-haired gentleman, Haise finds himself falling harder for the man than he could ever imagine. Unfortunately for him, he's going to learn even faster that love and business do /not/ mix.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Routine

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings! This is my first fanfiction under the Tokyo Ghoul fandom. I hope you will find my characterizations to be as realistic as possible in a non-ghoul, business AU.  
> This story will also be presented in both text and visual (doujin) mediums! More details under the chapter's end notes. For now, please enjoy this introduction chapter. Thank you :)

It would start when he sees the first flower petal fall.

_Change._

But at first, there was nothing.

Nothing but routine for the young man named Haise.

Waking up alone, taming his unruly hair, dressing in his usual business attire, heading to work, researching and filing paperwork at his desk, presenting at business meetings, dinner with coworkers, and finally traveling back home to sleep alone in his condominium. These were the things he did in his daily life.

It was a comfortable kind of routine for him. He always had room for small choices, such as the choice to give up the battle against his bed hair (which he usually did when it would not quite fall across his forehead the way he would like it to), what food to eat (within the balanced diet suggested for him), and what books to read for pleasure (after he completed the business papers assigned to him). These small decisions were affordable, as they did not put much personal stress on him, and also did not put much stress on the corporate leaders in charge of keeping him in top shape physically and mentally.

Routine was good for Haise. It kept him on track toward the purpose he was meant to serve, which was currently being tested in a certain meeting room:

“--and that is why the proposed technological improvements within the designated sector will prove profitable for our corporation in the long term.”

With a definitive tone in his voice, Haise finished his presentation to the board, letting out a miniscule puff of air through his nostrils and a small smile on his face. Only a moment passed before he received positive responses.  

“I could go along with this plan,” a large influential man known as Shinohara said brightly. “I vote in favor of this proposal.”

“It seems promising. I vote in favor as well,” A cheerful, grinning young man, Furamoto, chimed in.

Haise gazed at them appreciatively from where he was standing in front of the presentation slides. Around the table there were a few more votes in favor, two votes against, and then his eyes settled upon the most important presence in the room.

Kishou Arima, President and CEO of Arima Corporation. The core decision maker of them all.

He was also Haise’s father.

“The project does appear to have promising aspects for our company,” the bespeckled man said in a flat voice. “However,” Arima adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, creating the subtlest reflection of light on them. Haise’s posture stiffened slightly. “In quantitative terms, how will the estimated costs for the project affect Arima Corporation in the short term?”

Haise anticipated moments like these: questions meant to fluster him one last time, to attempt to throw him off track right before he reaches the end goal of approval. But such questions also meant that he was very close to passing this little test of theirs. He felt a flash of adrenaline surge through him; he was prepared for this question, and he knew exactly how to answer it:

“The project, sir, will have small expenses in the short term for Arima Corporation. The present sector we are focusing on currently helps bring in the amount of revenue listed on the paper handed to you all. As we can see by the charts on the presentation slide, the cost of new technological implementation is hardly 35 percent of the amount of revenue earned. Because the upgrades allow our company to run programs and other features twice as fast as before while consuming 40 percent less energy, we will be spending less money on its operations once implemented. This means that the profit gained from the new technology will already outweigh the cost of upgrade in the short term. Whatever costs we take on will be replenished within the next quarter at the very least.”

A brief silence hung in the air as everyone waited for the CEO’s answer. Haise repeated to himself to keep his form tall and his eyes direct.

_You’re almost there, you’ve nearly won him over._

A lingering second more and the sound of Arima’s fountain pen cap popping off breathed new life into the room again: Arima had been convinced. Haise himself exhaled the small breath he was unaware of holding in.

“As of today, this project is officially approved,” Arima said with finality in his voice, his hand moving smoothly as he signed off the project’s official documents laid in front of him. “We will begin the next stage of planning. Haise, please have your team ready for the appropriate presentation next week.”

“Yes, sir,” Haise nodded. With that, business was completed for the day and people were allowed to make their leave.

As the other businesspeople packed their things, Haise grabbed his portfolio from the table and made his way toward the meeting room’s door in exit.

“Not bad, Haise,” Arima said as they both waited briefly for their turn through the door. “You are on your way to becoming the next-generation leader Arima Corporation --and the world at large-- expects,” the corporate CEO stated.

Haise turned and gave him a radiant smile. “Thank you, sir!”

“You can let yourself breathe more, however,” Arima said with an unreadable expression on his face. “It would look poorly on our company if one of its leaders fainted during an important meeting.”

Haise flushed a little in his cheeks. He could tell he still had some unsettled nerves?

Just then, Arima’s phone rang; a default phone tune that Haise recognized as the one set for nearly every call he had in his contact list (the only ones he customized were for Haise’s mother Akira, his longtime friend Fura, and Haise himself).

The CEO did not miss a beat as he brought the phone to his ear. “Arima Kishou speaking,” His voice was flat, then became even more flat when he realized who was on the other line, “Taishi, why are you calling me from the restroom emergency line.”

A grumbling voice could be heard from the device. Arima looked at his watch, then the sticky note on top of his planner, and started to swiftly walk through the nearest hallway.

“I have another meeting to attend right now…” he spoke into the phone as two coworkers walking from the opposite direction immediately scooted out of his way. “Actually, we approved IT upgrades today...There should be no problem with your office phone once the project is implemented, Taishi, although I do not understand why you didn’t just ask one of your associates to borrow their phone…” Arima’s voiced trailed off.

Haise chuckled a little at what he could hear from the conversation. Taishi Fura (who Haise respectfully addressed as Fura) and his family were people he had known his entire life. They were quite wonderful people, always coming over for joint family dinners or out to baseball games. Haise didn’t know the man’s entire history with Arima, but they must go a long way back for Fura to be able to occasionally bother Arima like this and not get his eye stabbed with the CEO’s signature IXA fountain pen later.

As he watched his father turn down the opposite hall and their conversation fade, Haise suddenly became aware that he was standing alone. His coworkers were gone, also done with work for the day and not lingering around to organize an outing for drinks. This meant that Haise had the only option of going home for the evening.

_To sleep alone in his condominium._

The realization aroused a painful tightening in his throat. He immediately tried to swallow it down, calm the cold dread that threatened to wash over him.

No. He had to remember good things, positive things, Haise reminded himself. He had earned his father’s praise today for his effective proposal. That was a good thing; rarely anyone received praise from Arima. But he received it today, however small it was. Small praise meant he was on his way to becoming the leader the corporation would need him to be in the future. He was on his way, _dammit_.

Haise still found himself on the verge of shaking; his current line of reasoning wasn’t working. But he had to be perfect. He needed to quiet this fast, he couldn’t afford any weakness. If he didn’t figure out something soon, that would be a problem. Problem, problem, what else could --

Arima also told him to breathe.

Breathe.

Because it was good at soothing nerves and clearing your mind.

_Or because if you don’t, you’ll die and be of no use to anyone at this corporation._

Haise leaned one hand against a nearby wall and the other to cover his eyes as he squinted in pain. That approach wasn’t working well, either. But no matter what the purpose was, he had to get himself to calm down.

He could try repetition. That was one thing he learned from books he read.

“1000,” Haise whispered to himself, his breathing ragged. “993, 986, 979…”

“...923…”

His heart started to beat less erratically now.

“...902…”

After several more subtractions, Haise began to breathe normally again. When he felt collected enough, he slowly moved away from the wall and wiped a hand down his face. He almost looked the same as he had before the sudden change in his behavior, but his smile was gone and his eyes a more hollow grey.

It was time to go home.

It was also time to fix his mindset, he reasoned. First and foremost, he had to be appreciative of the life he had been given. Yes, it carried its own set of pressures and complexities, as he had just witnessed himself. But he was much better off than many other people were in terms of financial stability, and he had loving parents who raised him to be strong, ambitious, and humble. The least he could do was step up to accept the honor of upholding the Arima Corporation's reputation as an international business giant with him as its leader when the time came. This meant there was no time for extraneous passions, relationships, or goals outside the goals of the company. Such things would only get in the way.

Yes, Haise concluded. If anything threatened to interfere with his purpose of upholding the Arima Corporation name, he would certainly squash it like an irritating bug. It was as simple as that.

If anything threatened to interfere with his purpose, he would certainly squash it.

Even if it was the faintest ache of loneliness in his own chest.

As he headed home, Haise continued to count backwards in his mind from where he left off, each subtraction leading him one step closer into the arms of the monster that awaited him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsukiyama to enter the scene next chapter, as well as an expansion of this story's world.  
> Stay tuned for news on the illustrated/comic/doujin, which will be linked from here to the appropriate tumblr when chapter 1 is completed. Since the chapter gets written first, the doujin can't truly start until everything for the chapter is planned and written out. Now that the first chapter is done and the second about 65% complete, the visual storytelling in the doujin can flow more smoothly now and start being drawn.  
> Thanks for reading. Feedback is always appreciated :)


	2. A Fateful Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is here! In this chapter, Tsukiyama and Haise have their fateful shoujo meeting.  
> There is also more business talk and some semi-nsfw psychological kanekicest that I am totally not apologizing for...  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is also my first time writing Kanae, Tsukiyama, and Shironeki; I hope I have applied aspects of their personalities as believable as possible for this business/modern AU without resorting heavily on their tropes.

The moment he seated himself in the meeting room the next day, Haise knew there was something slightly off. The change in interior design gave him the smallest sense of unsettlement.

The design wasn't a drastic change. It was quite miniscule, actually, compared to other renovations the corporate building had in the past: where foliage was once arranged in the corners of the room, there was now only one remaining, placed in the center of the long business table. It was a simple vase holding a large bouquet of purple flowers.

And it stood right in front of Haise's view of the PowerPoint presentation.

A presentation his father, Kishou Arima, was currently giving.

Normally, anything that remotely obstructed his view of Arima Corporation's CEO would send alarms of panic ringing through his head; it was always inspiring to see how flawlessly Arima handled business and Haise did not want to miss a moment of it.

But there was something about those flowers...

It was as if they were slowly drawing Haise into a trance. The vibrant color, so contrasted with the cool greys of the room; the soft textures of each petal. The flowers stood tall and happy all bundled close together. It got him wondering how they got into the office in the first place, and where they came from. Were they a type of flower common to the area? Or were they imported from a foreign country? If they were of foreign origin, what climate did they best grow in?

Haise found himself smiling a little, imagining some far off region of the world where the precious flower buds were huddling together, their stance firm in a battle against a violent snow storm. Holding in his own laugh, he concluded that no matter the circumstances of its background, the flowers were perfect, so full of life. He was quite proud of them for making it this far within the corporate building.

And just as he thought their beauty was indestructible, he watched a lone petal detach and fall softly onto the cold table.

Oh.

That wasn’t supposed to happen so soon. Had he jinxed it?

He felt his heart deflate a little.

"Haise."

Startled out of his reverie, the young man tore his eyes away from the fallen flower petal to look up at the source of the clipped voice in front of him.

Grey eyes instantly met the piercing glare of Arima's light-reflected glasses.

Haise internally cringed, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. He was caught being inattentive.

Arima's expression was unreadable, but his voice remained firm as usual. "We would like your report on the effects of the company's technological upgrades on this quarter's revenue."

"Y-yes, of course," Haise responded quickly. There was no time to waste daydreaming, nor sitting around embarrassed of his recent behavior; he was here to participate in this meeting. He cleared his throat, buried his shame, and stood up to head toward the front of the table to address the upcoming data displayed on the presentation slides. He respectfully waited for Arima to retake his seat at the head of the meeting table before turning to the rest of the group.

 _I can recover from this. I did so well yesterday; I can do it again._ His professional attitude and mindset restored, Haise began to speak:

"Over the course of this quarter, we have seen considerable growth in several of our company's sectors. This is in part due to..."

 

***

 

"That is all for today, everyone. We will meet at this same time two days from now in Room F, " Arima rose from his chair to signal the end of the meeting. The rest of the group spoke and nodded their affirmatives, then also stood up to gather their materials and gradually make their way to the main door for exit.

"See ya later, Haise!" Furamoto said as he waved goodbye to him.

Haise flashed him a cute smile. "Take it easy," he responded as he watched his coworker make his way out the door.

He returned to reshuffling the contents of his briefcase, which were already neatly packed before the others even rose from their chairs to leave. It was a meaningless action, really. He knew what was waiting for him next; it was just considerate to the others to let them exit the room before --

"Haise, a word with you, please."

He turned his head to face who was now the only other figure in the room. It was Arima.

Here we go.

"I will keep this short," The CEO began. "Though this was a small meeting between close coworkers, largely meant as practice on your public speaking skills,” he said as he set his stack of papers on the table, “your absentmindedness today is inexcusable."

He paused for a moment to allow the weight of his words to fall on Haise's erect form -- _no wavering from the younger, good_ \-- before continuing.

"Such behavior will not be tolerated at future meetings.” Arima stated. “Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir. It will not happen again." Haise replied firmly. He gave a reasonable bow in apology and respect.

Standing there, Haise believed the critique was over. He waited for the telltale sounds of a chair scooting in and a door closing before moving out of his humble position, but was met with something rather unexpected instead.

A hand ruffling his hair.

_Huh?_

Surprised, Haise looked up to process what just happened.

Arima was standing in front of him, a small smile on his face. His broad shoulders blocked one of the light fixtures overhead, creating a golden halo around his figure as he spoke:

"But when all meetings are said and done, do not forget that you are still my son."

Haise stared at his father in awed silence, his hands unconsciously patting down the sides of his fluffy hair while his brain tried to form something to say. What just happened? Did Arima seriously just go into cool papa mode without giving him a warning first? Didn’t he know paparima mode was not for the faint of heart?!

His father continued on conversationally, the atmosphere shifting from heavy to light rather quick, something they both appreciated. "Will your mother and I still be seeing you at dinner tomorrow night? She's making her signature banana bread."

This seemed to snap Haise out of his stunned silence. "O-of course! I would never miss that, ohmygod," he beamed, his informal way of speaking taking over with the change of air in the room.

Arima chuckled lightly. His son always had a soft spot for anything regarding bananas (which definitely did not come from _his_ side of the family, by the way). "Excellent news. I will let her know to make twice as many loaves to make up for the last time we had to cancel dinner. You are free to go now," he said before he walked back to the head of the meeting table. He sat down and resumed his work.

Haise silently looked at his father for a moment, then moved to pick up his briefcase. "Thank you, Father. Have a good night," he said softly. With that, he headed for the door.

"Goodnight, son."  

As he watched Haise's back retreat from the meeting room and into the adjacent elevator, Arima's expression formed a slight frown. He turned his chair toward the call center embedded in the section of his table and pressed the speaker button.

"Secretary," he said flatly. "I want the flower arrangements removed from this room."

 

\-----------

 

Outside the corporate building, Haise heaved out a huge sigh.

 _I can’t believe I zoned out like that at today’s meeting. And over some darn flowers, no less!_ he pouted. It really was unlike him. But his father had let him off easy this time, so he would also take this moment of mercy to use the slip-up as a learning experience. He would not forget his mistake, but he’d be damned if he didn’t use it as fuel to work even harder to become the heir his father would be proud of.

Haise looked up for a moment, gazing at the slow, lazy movements of the thin puffs of clouds set against a bright blue sky. Work was done, and the weather was not bad at all. Perhaps…

Perhaps today he could spend some of his free time to walk about the city instead of heading straight home.

This whim soon became the correct decision, he decided a few minutes into his casual pace of walking. Haise could feel his ambitious corporate mindset slip away with each step he took, gradually replaced by the pleasant hum of the life currently around him, as well as thoughts of the lives he personally knew.

 _Dinner with mother and father...it should be nice,_ he reasoned thoughtfully as he walked through the colorful streets. It was always nice to have a break with his parents outside of work. At home, they resumed a normal family setting and did not bring up business unless it was the backdrop for which to place the root of a silly story they were going to share with the others. There was also the sweet anticipation of his mother’s banana bread every time Haise visited, which made him smile to himself every time the thought came up.

Just then, something pink fluttered across his line of vision.

Then another. And another.

They were…

_Flower petals?_

Haise stopped in his tracks and looked up, eyes widening ever so slightly at what stood in front of him.

His legs had carried him to a flower shop. Large and rectangular, the shop displayed flowers outside of all kinds of heights, colors, and scents on both left and right of the centered glass door entrance. Complete with elegant signs and attractive awning, the shop exuded sophistication. Across the banner read the title in gold, slightly-curled type: _Shoppe von Rosewald_.

Before Haise recognized what he was doing, he found himself gripping the shop’s door handle and pushing forward to enter; it triggered a small chime from a bell cluster at the top corner of the door, which Haise barely gave notice to as he stepped onto the floor.

The moment he was inside, Haise cast his eyes over the entirety of the shop. Though the composition of the shop was simple, he found himself quickly feeling overwhelmed. There were rows and columns of plants left and right, even more colors and volume of flowers than those displayed outside. This interior visual display furthered his scrambled idea of where to start: he had no clue what any of these flowers were, how he should navigate through these kinds of shops...Hell, he wasn’t even sure how he was _here_. He rarely encountered flowers in the first place, the last time he saw a deliberate collection of them was --

 _\-- at the business meeting earlier_.

A thought suddenly struck Haise.

Perhaps he could actually uncover the mystery of those flowers that had captivated him today.

Excited, Haise made a movement as if ready to take off running toward the correct cluster of flowers.

Almost just as sudden as he made such a stance, he also remembered that he was actually helpless in this foreign land.

Haise resumed his initial stance of standing and thought for a moment. If he himself couldn’t swiftly find the flowers within this shop, surely the shop’s owner would know, right? Haise stood on his tip-toes to peer over the aisles in search of any employee for assistance. After sweeping his eyes over the shop for a few seconds, however, he rested back on his heels, slightly disappointed. There was no one in sight.

 _Better investigate myself first, then, I guess. I don’t want to bother any employees who might be busy in the storage room_ , Haise reasoned. With determination ignited, he set off on his mission by leisurely walking over to the crowds of flowers to his right.

Unbeknownst to the young businessman, however, his presence drew the attention of two figures hidden in a tinted subsection of the flower shop.

\--

“We just received the status report from our source of _lilium bulbiferum_ ,” the first of the two spoke behind the room’s counter, arms rigidly crossed over their androgynous torso. “It seems that the European location this particular store draws the plant from has recently undergone new management.”

The second figure, taller and with more dramatic movements, spoke in surprise. “My dear Kanae, this news is rather sudden,” The man leaned across the room’s counter, chin rested in one hand as he locked eyes with the other. “Tell me, does this mean that our beautiful species of fire lily will be no more? It adds such life to this wonderful shop!”

“It is...uncertain, Master Shuu,” the first figure, Kanae, replied with a small blush that they quickly willed away. “For now, the quantity and quality of the shipments remain the same.” Then, their expression darkened, “But we should express caution toward the new management, we do not know if their potential mishandling will lead to the flower’s ruin -- "

Just then, both people’s heads turned at the sound of a familiar bell chiming. A customer had entered the shop.

The smaller of the two huffed at the chime of the doorbell. Usually Kanae would immediately tend to customers, but the issue that they could potentially lose an item that their master expressed concern over was too great. “To be quite honest, it is more pressing that we determine whether my brother Nathanael in Europe is actively protecting the fire lily for us than the matters of a wayward customer,” Kanae said, trying to bring control back to the conversation. “Isn’t that correct, Master Shuu? Master--”

As Kanae looked back to face said Shuu, their sentence died off.

The taller man was facing in the adjacent direction, eyes locked unblinkingly on the lone customer in the shop corner.

Kanae internally winced. They recognized that look anywhere. And they knew exactly what it meant.

_It was the look of a predator about to pounce on its new prey._

“Master Shuu…” Kanae said warningly. They looked warily between their master and the customer, who, Kanae now realized, was a young man with a curious mop of white and black hair. What kind of atrocious style was that?

Kanae’s verbal warning, however, went unnoticed to Shuu, and their sentence trailed off into silence.

“No need to divert energy from your current tasks, my dear Kanae,” Shuu stated suddenly, slapping his hand on the table. “I will tend to this customer.” With a graceful rise, he dislodged himself from the shop counter and began to walk gracefully toward the two-toned young man.

Haise was scrutinizing a batch of light pink flowers along the wall when a smooth voice greeted him from behind. “ _Bonjour_. Is there anything I may help you with today?”

The young man gave a small yelp at the sudden presence of another person so close to him. He turned around “Oh, I’m just --” he attempted to speak before he locked eyes with the stranger. What he saw made his jaw drop and words fade right on his tongue.

The man in front of him was downright gorgeous. His face alone was like that of a model: sharp jawline, nose, intense eyes and brow. His skin was pale and blemish-free, a surprising complement to his light bluish-purple hair that parted elegantly from the side to frame his face. If that wasn’t enough, his build was tall and looked just the right amount of masculine strong from what Haise could tell from the flattering cut of his business casual suit. Those details about the stranger’s clothing, however, perplexed Haise: if he wasn’t wearing an apron or name tag, that meant he most likely wasn’t an employee. Just who was this man?

“Oh I’m just...checking out the goods,” Haise said without thinking, flushing a little.

Wait. He just said that after so obviously checking the guy out.

Oh God wat.

“Ahhh, no! No,” he quickly backtracked, sputtering. “I’m actually searching. For a particular flower,” God he just wanted to slap himself right now. Where the hell did his communication skills go?

The taller man arched an elegant eyebrow, his eyes containing a small twinkle, as if he knew the effect he was having on the other man. He did not call Haise out on any of his rambling, however, and replied smoothly instead. “Oh? I may be able to assist you, _mon cher_ , for I am quite knowledgeable about flowers. Which kind were you seeking?”

Haise mentally thanked the man for glossing over his embarrassing moment and pushed the conversation forward as well. “This sounds ridiculous, but I...don’t actually know the name of it,” his shoulders fell a little. “I only know how to visually describe them.”

The man gave a light chuckle, amused. “That is quite alright,” he said. He made a sweeping hand gesture to himself. “I am, you could say, a _connoisseur de fluers_. If there is one person who can determine the identity of the ones you desire, it will no doubt be me!”

The man’s grand movements transitioned smoothly into a polite bow. “You may call me Shuu. May I ask your name, _monsieur_?”

Haise also gave a small bow as he considered whether to reveal his well-known family name or not. The man, Shuu, only provided his first name, so --

“Haise. You can call me Haise,” he said with a smile.

Shuu returned his smile with one of his own.

“Well, my dear Haise, let us walk together as you describe the flowers you saw.”

 

\---

 

As they walked slowly around the shop, Shuu continued small talk with Haise.

“So, what is it about these flowers that have drawn you in?” Shuu asked. “Did you find them fitting for your home? A special occasion?

“Or perhaps,” he turned his head to the side to look directly at the other, “they are for a special someone?”

Haise scratched his chin as he looked in a different direction. “Ahh no, nothing like that. I just saw them at work and thought they were adorable, haha.” _Not to mention distracting._

“A fitting reflection of you, then,” Shuu said lightly, mostly for himself to hear. “And how would you visually describe them? Shape, size, color?”

Haise thought for a moment as he considered the features. “Hmm...they were a bright purple. A bunch of little round flowers in clusters.”

“That certainly narrows it down,” Shuu chuckled. Whether that was a literal statement or lighthearted sarcasm, Haise could not recognize just yet. Regardless, he continued trailing behind the gentleman as he lead the two of them down another aisle.

“Do you have any experience of the world of flowers prior to your arrival here, Haise?”

“Ah, not really. My family has found these kinds of things to be rather...frivolous,” Haise finished sheepishly. The moment the words left his mouth, he felt ashamed of himself. He had walked straight into this flower shop and insulted the very thing they were selling. Usually he was very good at keeping such personal responses to himself.

He couldn’t figure out why, but something about the man let his guard down, even when the back of his mind told him that he should express caution with other non-business strangers.

Shuu stopped walking and turned around to face Haise fully. The latter stiffened slightly.

“Flowers are not useless at all, _mon cher_.” Shuu said kindly, patiently. As if sensing the other’s distress, he bent down to gather a glass vase of flowers, then turned to Haise so they could both focus on the floral group between them instead. “Let us examine this bouquet, for example,” he said.

“On the surface, they are very beautiful, are they not?” Haise nodded, eyes fixated on the details of the flowers. The purple color, the arrangement of them tall but with many little flowers together…His eyes widened. These were -- !

Shuu continued, his eyes focused on the flowers in his hands. “The language of flowers may not translate to what would be called ‘useful’ in more rigid industries, but their voices are easily heard somewhere else. Here,” he gently placed the bouquet in the smaller’s hands, giving Haise a more personal connection to the flowers. “They are felt within something that cannot be truly measured in monetary terms, no matter how hard humankind tries to capture it.”

Shuu’s red-violet eyes peered up at Haise, his expression charming. Then, more boldly, he placed his own warm hands over the other’s. He looked at him seriously as he said:

“Flowers, simply stated, speak to the soul.”

Haise felt his breath catch in his chest, heart jump, and mind scramble all at once. He swiftly removed his hands from below Shuu’s and from around the bouquet in panic, immediately dropping the glass vase and shattering it in doing so.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry!” Haise cried, dropping to the floor to pick up the fallen organize and inorganic pieces. “That was just. So intense, haha!” he said, trying to laugh off his embarrassment. “I don’t know what ‘in carnation’ came over me --”

Oh God, first he made a mess, and now he just used one of his lame puns to try to ease the pain? What was _wrong_ with him today? He didn’t even know the details of the flower that pun used, he just read it in a holiday advertisement one day, goodness someone please let the Earth’s crust swallow him whole right now --   

“ _Mon cher_ ,” Shuu spoke, bending down to the floor as well, “You should be more concerned about your current state! You are bleeding.”

“I’m what?” Haise followed Shuu’s gaze down to his own hands. Both had fresh cuts all over.

Shuu wrapped a silk handkerchief around them, dabbing at the wounds. “I apologize,” he said, eyes downcast and concerned. “I should have only picked out a few flowers instead of carrying over the entire glass display to you as an example. Do not worry about the mess; it will be cleaned up.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Haise winced. The cuts stung, but they were small overall and would heal over a reasonable amount of time. “I shouldn’t have reacted in such a reckless manner, either...”

The two men stood up after gathering the fallen flowers. Time seemed to slow to a halt as they realized they were facing each other closer than before; the air seemed to constrict as it grew with silence and, strangely, a buzzing kind of energy. It made Haise’s heart beat faster.

“It is rather curious that you sought this flower in particular, you know,” Shuu spoke softly. “This flower -- the ‘Hardenbergia’-- has a meaning that seems quite fitting for this very instance.”

Haise swallowed, the buzzing feeling around him accelerating. “What...what does it mean?” he whispered, afraid to break the sensitive moment.

Shuu gazed at him with a smile so genuine and comforting, it was as if the knowledge he held of this flower explained everything:

“It refers to a fateful encounter. An unexpected, happy meeting.”

Haise was at a loss for words.

“Haise,” Shuu said slowly. “This is sudden, but…"

He looked into the younger man’s grey eyes, searching for permission. “Would you, perhaps, like to have a cup of coffee with me tomorrow? It will be my treat to make up for your inconvenient injury.”

Haise’s mind was frazzling. Oh goodness. Was this the phenomenon people called “asking someone out on a date”? Surely this wouldn’t do, the bells of alarm blaring in the back of his mind told him. He couldn’t have already forgotten that his priority is work; he should be upholding the corporation name. Everything outside of work was extraneous. Nothing good would come from meetings that are not for business, they would be a distraction, they would get in his way, get in his way, get in --

“Yes. I would be delighted to join you, Shuu.”

...

One outing wouldn’t hurt, right?

A smile spread gracefully over Shuu’s face. “ _Fantastique,”_ he breathed. ”There is a pleasant cafe not too far from here we can visit. They are known for making beautiful latte art on top of each order of their coffee. ”

“That sounds wonderful,” Haise replied. He felt a shy smile appear on his own face in response.

Then, he remembered.

“I-I should get going,” Haise said hastily. “I have to prepare for work tomorrow.”

“Ah yes! So sorry for keeping you,” Shuu exclaimed, his eccentric presence returning with renewed vigor.

“Would you like these back?” Haise asked, looking at some of the Hardenbergia in his grip.

“Please, keep them,” Shuu assured. “You can think of them as a reminder of today’s encounter.”

“If, and only if,” Shuu continued, his expression suddenly serious as he leaned in toward the smaller man. “I can exchange phone numbers with you in return,” he said with a wink.

Haise laughed. This guy’s antics were something else. “Sure thing,” he said as he pulled his cell phone out of his dress pants pocket and loaded his contacts screen.

As they parted ways, they couldn’t stop their smiles from spreading.

 

\--------

 

When Haise got back to his condominium, he lingered in the entranceway. He slowly pressed his back into the door, letting his weight close it behind him with a soft click just as he let out a soft sigh. He didn’t feel quite ready to turn the lights on just yet; the dull stripes of dark purple light filtered from the still-open blinds of his main window gave him enough help make out the dark edges of his furniture. The overall darkness of his home did not bother Haise; it enveloped him comfortably, and he was content knowing his true facial expressions were safe from everyone else.

He turned his head down and to the side, smiling to himself at the recent memory of what had just passed that afternoon. The falling petals, the walk that led him to the beautiful flower shop, and, most of all, to --

_Shuu._

Haise shifted the group of flowers in his hand. Was it too early to consider these a gift? He laughed a little; they also gave him some irritating cuts from the glass case they were in, which in general didn’t sound very gift-like. But if that somehow ended up in allowing him to see the flowershop gentleman again, perhaps it was.

Soon he became aware of his eyelids drooping in sleepiness. It was definitely time for him to hit the hay.

Haise navigated through his dark hallway, bypassing the kitchen and bathroom in favor of reaching his bedroom. He remembered he had a tall glass of water already sitting on his bedside table. That should do for now in terms of putting the Hardenbergia away, at least until he found a better-suited container for later.

Plus, he thought as he laid down sideways on his bed, now he had something fresh and organic to brighten his morning with when he woke up tomorrow.

_At least, until I meet with Shuu later that afternoon._

Haise closed his eyes, soft eyelashes meeting the lightest blush rising in his cheeks as the image of the man resurfaced in his mind. Shuu was unlike anyone Haise had ever met before. He was eccentric, yes, but also intelligent and intriguing. To be honest with himself, it was oddly charming that the other man had such qualities present at once.

Not mention that he was handsome.

So, so handsome.

"Looks like someone's caught your eye, huh, Haise?"

Haise's eyes shot open. He knew that voice well -- too well.

The monster inside his dreams.

_The monster that was Kaneki Ken._

Fear flooded Haise’s veins like a liquid paralyzer to his muscles. How could he have another visit from _him_ already? He just dealt with him the night before...Why was he now trying to twist the meaning of the one nice moment Haise had outside of work?

"It's not like that," Haise grit out through clenched teeth. “He’s just someone I met randomly.”

The monster tsked from behind the shadows.

“So what is it supposed to be, then?” Kaneki retorted. “‘Wow, what a nice guy to show up like that and teach me a thing or two about flowers, I’ll just keep us at that’?” The monster questioned, its voice drawing nearer from the shadows. “You want more out of this and you know it.”

Before Haise could react, the monster leaned in closer to whisper in his ear:

“ _We_ know it.”

Haise felt a full-body shiver rip through him at those words. When did the creature get right behind him?

And how did it get its arms around his torso without him realizing, its legs already tangled with his own while he lay in bed?

One by one, Haise felt the buttons of his dress shirt come undone. When the majority of them were released, his shirt was pulled slowly apart in both directions, revealing his lightly chiseled chest before two hands dove in to explore the exposed expanse of skin.

“I -- he --” Haise gulped. He was quickly getting distracted by those hands slowly roaming over him, eerily similar to how his own felt when he was alone. “I’m not planning on trying…anything with him,” he panted, “I barely know him --”

Kaneki stopped his movements, leaving his fingers splayed across the other’s chest and abs for a moment. Haise had to bite back a whine, guilty that deep down he yearned for the caresses to continue. “Let’s be honest with ourselves, Haise,” Kaneki said nonchalantly.

Haise felt his heart rate beat faster at the monster’s casual tone. He didn’t want to hear anything the monster said; nothing good ever came out of its mouth.

"I know your _formal_ side wants to be courted, to be softened up with gifts of flowers and coffee dates..." said Kaneki. It hugged him tenderly from behind, body pressed close to him and face nuzzled into the crook of the other’s neck. Just like a lover would.

This time Haise couldn’t help but give a small whine as he melted slowly into the other’s embrace. It was true. It was true he wanted that; it felt right considering his business reputation to uphold. If he did come across a person who wanted to give in this manner, there was nothing wrong with that...

“But,” Kaneki’s sharp tone cut through the haze of Haise’s racing thoughts.

“What you really want, Haise --” he clutched the helpless young man ever tighter to himself, trapping him --

"-- is to break the rules."

Suddenly several tentacle-like extensions burst forth from the monster’s lower back, sliding and pressing every limb or joint it could into the bed. Haise drew in a sharp gasp, his body trying to arch into _something_ but the sensations were coming from all over. All he could do was mold himself into the monster's iron grip it had resecured just seconds before.

Kaneki smirked, pleased that his captive was responding in his favor. "Look at you. Look at how you're responding." Kaneki pressed insistently on Haise's warm body, hands and extensions trailing down lean legs. Everything was roaming all over, wherever it could touch.

“This is the real you,” he stated. “The you where deep down you know want to be fucked like an animal, to let go in the way you are not allowed to in all other aspects of your life.” A particular squeeze around his groin had Haise let out a long moan, his head thrown back into the groove of the monster's shoulder, mouth parting, chest rising and falling ever faster. Over time the monster increased its ministrations, sensually grinding his hips into Haise from behind while tending to the growing issue in front. The combined sensations made Haise keen with want.

“You yourself want to be destroyed,   _d e v o u r e d_ ,” Kaneki growled, egging the other on. He licked a cool tongue up Haise’s overheated neck, lingering at a pulsing vein to apply pressure to it, which caused a Haise to cry out briefly.

“You want anything that can set you off the edge. Anything to set you free.”

Haise was falling apart. The words that slithered into his ear were too much, the sensations coming from everywhere were too much, he couldn’t last, he wouldn’t last, he --

“And right now, you’re already imagining that you’re going to find all of this with _him_.”

Haise awoke with a huge gasp, body shuddering as he abruptly reached his climax. “Shuu…!” he found himself moaning as he let the pleasurable waves course through him. After a few moments of release, he slumped back into his bed, trying to gain control of his breathing.

He looked down his own front and groaned. Not only had he torn open his dress shirt, he soiled his favorite pair of pinstriped slacks.  Haise’s face flushed in embarrassment. And did he...did he moan Shuu’s name as he -- ?

He buried his face in his hands at the realization of what he did in fact do just a moment ago.

He didn’t have time for this. As much as he wanted to dwell in self-loathing, he needed to rest properly for work tomorrow. Not bothering to clean up or change, Haise shed is clothes with an exasperated huff and buried himself as deep in the covers as he could go, doing his best to ignore the distant cackling of Kaneki as he settled back into his unconscious state of sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Tsukiyama to enter the scene next chapter, as well as an expansion of this story's world.  
> Stay tuned for news on the illustrated/comic/doujin, which will be linked from here to the appropriate tumblr when chapter 1 is completed. Since the chapter gets written first, the doujin can't truly start until everything for the chapter is planned and written out. Now that the first chapter is done and the second about 65% complete, the visual storytelling in the doujin can flow more smoothly now and start being drawn.  
> Thanks for reading. Feedback is always appreciated :)


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